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Joseph of Nazareth

08 Dec

Matthew 1:18-25 [NLT]
18 This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. 19 Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly.
20 As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
22 All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet:
23
“Look! The virgin will conceive a child!
She will give birth to a son,
and they will call him Immanuel,
which means ‘God is with us.’”
24 When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife. 25 But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus.

Matthew 2:13-15 [NLT]
13 After the wise men were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up! Flee to Egypt with the child and his mother,” the angel said. “Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”
14 That night Joseph left for Egypt with the child and Mary, his mother, 15 and they stayed there until Herod’s death. This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: “I called my Son out of Egypt.”

Luke 1:26-28 [NLT]
26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, 27 to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. 28 Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!”

Luke 2 [NLT]
2 At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. 2 (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. 4 And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. 5 He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child.
6 And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. 7 She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.
The Shepherds and Angels
8 That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”
13 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,
14
“Glory to God in highest heaven,
and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”
15 When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
16 They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. 17 After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. 18 All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, 19 but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. 20 The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.
Jesus Is Presented in the Temple
21 Eight days later, when the baby was circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel even before he was conceived.
22 Then it was time for their purification offering, as required by the law of Moses after the birth of a child; so his parents took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. 23 The law of the Lord says, “If a woman’s first child is a boy, he must be dedicated to the Lord.” 24 So they offered the sacrifice required in the law of the Lord—“either a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”
The Prophecy of Simeon
25 At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him 26 and had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 That day the Spirit led him to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required, 28 Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying,
29
“Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace,
as you have promised.
30
I have seen your salvation,
31
which you have prepared for all people.
32
He is a light to reveal God to the nations,
and he is the glory of your people Israel!”
33 Jesus’ parents were amazed at what was being said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them, and he said to Mary, the baby’s mother, “This child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, and many others to rise. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose him. 35 As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul.”
The Prophecy of Anna
36 Anna, a prophet, was also there in the Temple. She was the daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher, and she was very old. Her husband died when they had been married only seven years. 37 Then she lived as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer. 38 She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she began praising God. She talked about the child to everyone who had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem.
39 When Jesus’ parents had fulfilled all the requirements of the law of the Lord, they returned home to Nazareth in Galilee. 40 There the child grew up healthy and strong. He was filled with wisdom, and God’s favor was on him.
Jesus Speaks with the Teachers
41 Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Passover festival. 42 When Jesus was twelve years old, they attended the festival as usual. 43 After the celebration was over, they started home to Nazareth, but Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents didn’t miss him at first, 44 because they assumed he was among the other travelers. But when he didn’t show up that evening, they started looking for him among their relatives and friends.
45 When they couldn’t find him, they went back to Jerusalem to search for him there. 46 Three days later they finally discovered him in the Temple, sitting among the religious teachers, listening to them and asking questions. 47 All who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.
48 His parents didn’t know what to think. “Son,” his mother said to him, “why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been frantic, searching for you everywhere.”
49 “But why did you need to search?” he asked. “Didn’t you know that I must be in my Father’s house?” 50 But they didn’t understand what he meant.
51 Then he returned to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. And his mother stored all these things in her heart.
52 Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people.

Dear God, I just love this man. Greatest man of the Bible? I’d put him in the running. Like the Heisman Trophy voting, he might not win the award (that might go to Paul or David), but he would certainly be invited to New York. Why? Because he did all of the little things that don’t show up in the box score (another sports metaphor). He sacrificed his dreams, reputation, and comfort for the call to live a simple, poor yet unbelievably important and critical life. How much of Jesus formation as a human involved watching his earthly father?

Of course, I could go through each part of the story right now, but I’m not going to. I mean, yes, he decided to do the most honorable thing he could think to do BEFORE he got an angel visit in deciding to break with Mary quietly because “he did not want to disgrace her publicly.” He takes the pregnant wife to Bethlehem (it would have been a whole lot easier to go through the census without her being pregnant). He escapes to Egypt with her on the command of an angel. He goes through losing God’s son in Jerusalem later. And no earthly reward for him is ever recorded. Just one life, submitted to you. He lived and he died and history moved on, but the dominoes he was part of knocking over changed the whole world.

So what do I expect of my life? Do I look for greatness? Do I look for importance? Do I look for wealth and comfort? Or do I simply look to you for my sustenance and daily bread? The answer is yes to all. I confess to you that I want people to think I’m great. My ego is huge and I’m sorry for that. I want to be important and get love from people. My insecurity drives me in that way. I want to not have to worry about money and purchase the things my heart desires. My greed and covetousness can be insatiable. And then there are times like this when I repent of this and just look to you for your direction and your daily bread. I remember that you are my provider and my deliverer. You give me what I need and what I need to have to be the most effective part of your plan that I can be.

Father, I would not get invited to New York for the Heisman ceremony like Joseph would, and that’s okay. In fact, it is probably better for me to live the smallest life I can because my ego has a hard time handling any widespread acknowledgment or acclaim. So do with me what you need to do. Use my life to knock over at least one domino in your plan so that your kingdom will come and your will will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

[As a P.S. to anyone who might be reading this, here is a link to one of my favorite Christmas songs. It is about Joseph and what it must have been like for him. It’s called “Strange Way to Save the World” and it’s sung by 4Him,]

 
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Posted by on December 8, 2018 in Luke, Matthew, Uncategorized

 

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Peter & John — John 21:18-24

30 Nov

John 21:18-24 NIV
[18] Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” [19] Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!” [20] Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is going to betray you?”) [21] When Peter saw him, he asked, “Lord, what about him?” [22] Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.” [23] Because of this, the rumor spread among the believers that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say that he would not die; he only said, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?” [24] This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true.

Dear God, I read something interesting yesterday by Eugene Peterson in his book Run With The Horses: The Quest For Life At Its Best:

Scripture, however, doesn’t play that game. Something very different takes place in the life of faith: each person discovers all the elements of a unique and original adventure. We are prevented from following in another’s footsteps and are called to an incomparable association with Christ. The Bible makes it clear that every time that there is a story of faith, it is completely original.

This passage calls this to mind. We want to compare ourselves with others to see how we measure up. If we perceive they are living worse than us then we feel better about ourselves. If we think their lives are better than ours then we feel worse. The common denominator is that it’s about us and our expectations for how good our lives should be.

What I think Jesus is trying to teach Peter, John, and even us today through this conversation is that we need to stop trying to use the lives of others to benchmark our own. Sure, we can use others as inspiration and encouragement, but our eyes need to be on the path you have for us and the race you have for us to walk. Oh, how I hope I’m getting mine right in your eyes and accomplishing what you need to accomplish through me.

Father, thank you for the comfort that you do give me. Thank you for your love. Help me to be at peace with my life and to make my decisions based on your still small voice and counsel through the Holy Spirit. I have some decisions to make even today—some big ones. Help me to be wise.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 30, 2018 in John, Peter and John

 

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Peter & John — John 21:12-17

29 Nov

John 21:12-17 NASB
[12] Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples ventured to question Him, “Who are You?” knowing that it was the Lord. [13] Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and the fish likewise. [14] This is now the third time that Jesus was manifested to the disciples, after He was raised from the dead. [15] So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My lambs.” [16] He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Shepherd My sheep.” [17] He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Tend My sheep.

Dear God, the thing that we lose when reading something versus hearing it is tone of voice. The thing we lose by not seeing it is body language. I feel like these passages have suffered from that loss. I’d love to hear Jesus’ and Peter’s voices during this exchange. I’d love to see Jesus’ facial expressions and body language. I wonder what John saw and heard in that moment.

I heard a long time ago something I’ve never verified for myself. Someone once told me that Jesus keeps asking Peter if he “agape” loves Him and Peter answer that he “phileo” loves Jesus. I suppose I should look that up one day. It’s never really made sense to me that in that moment Peter wouldn’t come back to Jesus with the same type of love he was requesting.

Either way, by the end of this conversation it seems that Peter is not only restored from the denying three times story, but he is completely set up to lead the new church. Basically, he has his head back on straight again. Grace has freed him.

I heard about a friend yesterday who made a mistake and I have a feeling they are walking around with a lot of guilt. Now I can see that friend acting out and in a funk, and I have a feeling that what is truly needed right now is freedom from that mistake and others that this friend has made.

Father, my wife and I are doing something today to support. Friend that puts us out of our comfort zone. Please help us to do it well. Help us to be ministers of your grace and peace. Give us wisdom and discernment at any given moment, and even be with us while we drive alone. Strengthen us through each other. Let your Holy Spirit be in the car with us and counsel us so that we might really do the right things by the people around us.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 29, 2018 in John, Peter and John

 

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John 21:1-11

28 Nov

John 21:1-11 NASB
[1] After these things Jesus manifested Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and He manifested Himself in this way. [2] Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together. [3] Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will also come with you.” They went out and got into the boat; and that night they caught nothing. [4] But when the day was now breaking, Jesus stood on the beach; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. [5] So Jesus said to them, “Children, you do not have any fish, do you?” They answered Him, “No.” [6] And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right-hand side of the boat and you will find a catch.” So they cast, and then they were not able to haul it in because of the great number of fish. [7] Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord.” So when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put his outer garment on (for he was stripped for work), and threw himself into the sea. [8] But the other disciples came in the little boat, for they were not far from the land, but about one hundred yards away, dragging the net full of fish. [9] So when they got out on the land, they saw a charcoal fire already laid and fish placed on it, and bread. [10] Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish which you have now caught.” [11] Simon Peter went up and drew the net to land, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not torn.

Dear God, it’s hard sometimes to read these stories with new, fresh eyes when they are stories I’ve read so many times before and about which I’ve already had some strong opinions. In this case, this is a great Peter story that gives us a pretty good looking into his emotional state and his impulsiveness.

I love the simple line, “I’m going fishing.” Back to the roots. I wonder how long it had been since he had been fishing. I wonder whose boat they used. They were back at the Sea of Galilee. Perhaps they used John’s and James’ dad’s boats. Maybe they fished on and off again over the years. There’s so much we don’t know. But we do know that These five guys were together and Peter finally decided to go and fish and maybe even make a little money. The other four followed him.

Then, to add insult to injury, they didn’t catch anything. Peter’s sense of being lost and depressed after having denied Jesus is now being piled upon with fruitless work. And then Jesus shows up.

I guess I am seeing something new here. It’s from Jesus. If I were mapping this out, I would think that Jesus came back from the dead and then had a strategy session with the disciples before he ascended. His seemingly infrequent appearances are interesting and now what I would expect. I guess he was teaching them some lessons about independent thinking and getting along without himself. I’m sure their conversations while he wasn’t around were full of “What do we do next?” questions.

Father, I guess that’s how you still work with us today. In a lot of ways, we are left to struggle through and depend upon our own intelligence, intuition and experience to solve problems or make choices, all the while seeking your wisdom and discernment. I know that’s how I feel right now. We are doing strategic planning at work and we are working hard to discern your will while trying to layer our collective contributions we bring to the table. My wife and I are doing the same thing with some challenges we are facing. I have to say, It’d be nice if you’d just hire a sky writer and tell us what to do, but this is also a good process. So thank you for the struggle. Thank you for your love. Please speak to all of us as we wrestle through these challenges.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 28, 2018 in John, Peter and John

 

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Peter & John — John 20:1-10

26 Nov

John 20:1-10 NASB
[1] Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb, while it was still dark, and saw the stone already taken away from the tomb. [2] So she ran and came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.” [3] So Peter and the other disciple went forth, and they were going to the tomb. [4] The two were running together; and the other disciple ran ahead faster than Peter and came to the tomb first; [5] and stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings lying there; but he did not go in. [6] And so Simon Peter also came, following him, and entered the tomb; and he saw the linen wrappings lying there, [7] and the face-cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself. [8] So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb then also entered, and he saw and believed. [9] For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. [10] So the disciples went away again to their own homes.

Dear God, several years ago I noticed something interesting about this story. In fact, this is one of the reasons I wanted to compare and contrast John and Peter. John outruns Peter there (what does it say about his state of mind that he would either intentionally or unintentionally outrun Peter), but then he cautiously stops and doesn’t go in, but only looks at a distance.

On the other hand, Peter isn’t as fast as John, but he’s certainly more bold. He gets there last, but goes straight in. John then follows Peter.

As I sit here and think about it this morning, this is the first activity of the new Christian church’s leadership post-resurrection, and in it I think Peter shows why his personality allows him to be the leader. He is, indeed, courageous. He is also a little less cautious, which can be a problem. In the case of how things will play out, I think John will need that part of Peter’s personality to move him out of his comfort zone, but Peter will need people like John to help him see the big picture before acting.

Father, help me to be the person you want me to be to accomplish what you have for our group to accomplish. It’s board meeting week. I bring a certain set of weaknesses and strengths to the table as does everyone else. As we talk and discuss everything before us, my prayer is that we will be able to accept the work and input of the others that you need us to have so that we can be as effective in our work as possible. And of course, do it all for your glory and not ours.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 26, 2018 in John, Peter and John

 

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Peter & John — John 18:17-18,25-27

24 Nov

John 18:17-18,25-27 NASB
[17] Then the slave-girl who kept the door said to Peter, “You are not also one of this man’s disciples, are you?” He said, “I am not.” [18] Now the slaves and the officers were standing there, having made a charcoal fire, for it was cold and they were warming themselves; and Peter was also with them, standing and warming himself. [25] Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So they said to him, “You are not also one of His disciples, are you?” He denied it, and said, “I am not.” [26] One of the slaves of the high priest, being a relative of the one whose ear Peter cut off, said, “Did I not see you in the garden with Him?” [27] Peter then denied it again, and immediately a rooster crowed.

Dear God, John chooses to tell this story much more mercifully and matter-of-factly than the others. He leaves out Peter’s shame, although later, along the water after the resurrection, he will capture the restoration.

The thing I notice about John throughout this book is that he seems to empathize with people. He has mercy for them. I concluded several year ago that he has mercy and sympathy for Pilate. In this case, he was as scared as Peter was and would probably have denied Jesus too if anyone had bothered to ask him. He feels for Peter.

How is my mercy level for other people? I hope it’s at least getting better. The hardest part is when they have offended me. How do I look beyond my own feelings and ego and try to see where that person might be coming from and then extend grace to them while also seeing if I can help them?

As I sit here, I can think of countless times I have not done this well—especially with family. It’s frustrating. And the times I have done it right, my eyes have seen no benefit from it. It seems like the other person often takes advantage of my mercy and tries to use it as an opportunity to abuse me more.

Father, thank you for John’s example of mercy and discretion. Thank you that he was able to look at the failings of others and at least appreciate where they were coming from. Give me that ability today. I have certain situations in my heart. Please give me peace and wisdom to deal with them beyond my natural capabilities.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 24, 2018 in John, Peter and John

 

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Peter & John — John 18:7-11

22 Nov

John 18:7-11
7 Once more he asked them, “Who are you looking for?”
And again they replied, “Jesus the Nazarene.”
8 “I told you that I AM he,” Jesus said. “And since I am the one you want, let these others go.” 9 He did this to fulfill his own statement: “I did not lose a single one of those you have given me.”
10 Then Simon Peter drew a sword and slashed off the right ear of Malchus, the high priest’s slave. 11 But Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword back into its sheath. Shall I not drink from the cup of suffering the Father has given me?”

Dear God, it’s interesting to see what John decides to tell us and what he leaves out. He tells us about Peter cutting off the ear, but he doesn’t tell us that Jesus healed the ear or why Peter had a sword in the first place (Luke 22:36-37). He also leaves out something else important. He doesn’t tell the part about Jesus praying on the Mount of Olives and the disciples praying with Him falling asleep. Hmmm. I wonder if he carried that shame the rest of his life.

But back to Peter. I already mentioned this in a previous journal, but I think it is significant to note that Peter was, indeed, ready to defend Jesus, follow Jesus, battle for Jesus, and die for Jesus. That’s just not how Jesus needed this to work out. This is evidenced by what John tells us in verse 8 with Jesus saying, “”And since I am the one you want, let these others go.” I don’t remember Matthew, Mark, or Luke giving us that detail. At some point, I am going to do a side-by-side comparison of every story the four Gospels give us so that I can get a better look at exactly what John wanted us to know that was unique to the other three.

I was watching a documentary on Bill Murray the other day, and a guy talked about a Taoist Proverb that has a principle I’ve clung to the last few years as things have and haven’t gone the way I wanted them to. To paraphrase quickly, it seems there was a man who had a prized horse:

  • One day the horse ran away and his neighbor came over and told him it was such a shame that this bad thing had happened. The man replied, “Who is to know what is good or what is bad?”
  • The next day the horse came back, but he brought with him 10 prized wild horses. The neighbor came and rejoiced with him remarking that it was such a great thing. The man replied, “Who is to know what is good or what is bad?”
  • The next day the man’s son was trying to train one of the horses and broke his leg. The neighbor expressed sympathy for such a terrible thing happening, but the man replied, “Who is to know what is good or what is bad?”
  • The next day the army came to conscript able-bodied men to go to war. The son was left behind because of his broken leg, and the neighbor rejoiced with the man, but the man replied, “Who is to know what is good or what is bad?”

And so the story goes on and on. Peter felt like a failure that night. John felt like a failure too. And they did, indeed, fail. Judas Iscariot failed that week as well. But in all of it, your plan prevailed. You didn’t need them to fail, but you allowed for their failure. They didn’t understand that Jesus’ death was good and fighting to save Jesus by cutting off an ear was bad. But looking back and telling the story years later, John was able to see a little more clearly and understand what you were up to.

Father, I am truly sorry for my failings. I really am. But on this Thanksgiving Day, I want to thank you for working around all of my faults and flaws to not only love me, but to do you will on earth through me. Maybe things could be done better if I was better, but I am able to sleep peacefully at night knowing that you are my God, you love me, and you forgive me. Thank you.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 22, 2018 in John, Peter and John

 

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Peter & John — John 14:5,8,22

21 Nov

John 14:5 NASB
[5] Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?”
John 14:8 NASB
[8] Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.”
John 14:22 NASB
[22] Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, what then has happened that You are going to disclose Yourself to us and not to the world?”

Dear God, I want to look at John as writer and storyteller this morning. He gives us a unique window into the Last Supper. Thomas, Philip, and the good Judas get call outs here. I don’t know that it’s as important what they asked (they were basically all just trying to make sense of what was happening around them) as it is that John was going through the evening in his memory and these are some of the specifics he remembered. “Thomas asked Him where He was going.” “Philip wanted to see a revelation of God (that one was pretty silly of him to say—Jesus didn’t seem to like that one).” “Judas (gotta be clear which one) wanted to understand why things were so shrouded and confusing.” These might have all been things John himself wanted to ask and that’s why he remembered them. Or maybe he was remembering Jesus’ answers and then thought back to which questions had provoked each one. Either way, John is painting a unique picture of that evening. The disciples were confused, scared, insecure, and a bit intimidated.

Father, thank you for these 11 men. Thank you that you gave the early church a group of people who were imperfect but cake together to continue the work here on earth. Thank you that one day we will all follow you and go where you will go. Finally, thank you for John taking the time to write all of this down and give it to us.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 21, 2018 in John, Peter and John

 

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Peter & John — John 13:36-38

20 Nov

John 13:36-38 NASB
[36] Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, where are You going?” Jesus answered, “Where I go, you cannot follow Me now; but you will follow later.” [37] Peter said to Him, “Lord, why can I not follow You right now? I will lay down my life for You.” [38] Jesus *answered, “Will you lay down your life for Me? Truly, truly, I say to you, a rooster will not crow until you deny Me three times.

Dear God, ah, the most famous foolishly hubristic line spoken in history—Peter’s claim that he will follow Jesus to death, only to receive the prophecy from Jesus that Peter will, in fact, deny him to save his own life.

As I noticed back in one of the previous tellings of this story, Peter was, indeed, ready to follow Jesus to death. He took a sword and cut off a man’s ear. What we wasn’t prepared for was a death that required his surrender. He was willing to accept death in glory, but he wasn’t thinking about surrendering to death in humiliation.

My own paradigms can really get me into trouble. I am meeting with some board members this morning and we are talking about the programs our nonprofit offers the public. How much will my own expectations, preconceived notions and paradigms drive my opinions? That’s just one example. There are others like my children and the attitude I have about their life choices. My marriage and what I think my role is as a husband. My parents and father-in-law and what my role is as a son. I know I let my own values and ideas get in the way of what you want me to do sometimes. I’m sorry for that.

Father, help me to be flexible. Help me to be quiet and listen for your still small voice. Open my eyes and ears so that I might see and hear what you are showing and telling me. And help me to decrease so that you might increase. All glory and honor to you, oh Lord.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 20, 2018 in John, Peter and John

 

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Peter & John — John 13:1-17

18 Nov

John 13:1-17
1Before the Passover celebration, Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and return to his Father. He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now he loved them to the very end. 2 It was time for supper, and the devil had already prompted Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. 4 So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, 5 and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.
6 When Jesus came to Simon Peter, Peter said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”
7 Jesus replied, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you will.”
8 “No,” Peter protested, “you will never ever wash my feet!”
Jesus replied, “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me.”
9 Simon Peter exclaimed, “Then wash my hands and head as well, Lord, not just my feet!”
10 Jesus replied, “A person who has bathed all over does not need to wash, except for the feet, to be entirely clean. And you disciples are clean, but not all of you.” 11 For Jesus knew who would betray him. That is what he meant when he said, “Not all of you are clean.”
12 After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, “Do you understand what I was doing? 13 You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am. 14 And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. 15 I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. 16 I tell you the truth, slaves are not greater than their master. Nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends the message. 17 Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them.

Dear God, I think I’m correct in stating that John is the only one who gives us the foot washing story at the Last Supper. What a remarkable thing for him to remember and convey. First, he is the narrator so he gets to add his own editorial to the story. Here’s what John wants us to know:

  • Jesus is aware of what’s about to happen to Him the next day (verse 1)
  • Jesus loved His disciples and was ready to show them how much He loved them (verse 1)
  • Jesus was self-aware enough to understand His own power (verse 3)
  • All of this prompted Him to express His love to the disciples by washing their feet (verse 4)

Then John gets to describe the scene. Everyone at the table seems to willingly accept Jesus washing their feet until He comes to Peter. I’m sure the others felt the same awkwardness that Peter felt, but it was Peter who had the courage to put words to it. Peter’s problem was that he didn’t quite understand what servant leadership looked like. Jesus was teaching a lesson.

Back when I was in my early twenties, I was the leader on a church retreat for a church out of Houston. There was a rough group of about three or four kids who went on the retreat that had mainly middle class kids. They were hard to handle. At one point, we decided to blow their minds by washing everyone’s feet, including theirs. I think it was a good idea, although we didn’t execute it very well. Or maybe we did. We kind of did it out of the blue like Jesus does here. The kids were confused, and I’m frankly not sure it did anything to change their behavior or their receptiveness of your message during the week. But as I think about it now, their reaction was pretty similar to Peter’s, but not because they had so much respect for us that they couldn’t receive our service. I think, for them, it felt more like a way we were trying to humiliate them.

As I further unpack this, I went on a retreat a couple of years ago where the leaders wash the feet of the participants. But are we getting it wrong with doing this? Or maybe not wrong, but are we accomplishing something different than Jesus was accomplishing. The premise within which Jesus was working was that He was their obvious superior. He was their rabbi. He was the Messiah. He was God. And He was now washing their feet. He was loving them. If I am with a group and decide that it is time to wash their feet, what I am communicating to them? Especially if there is no previous relationship. Am I subconsciously setting myself up as their leader?

Father, I don’t know that I resolved anything today or if I might have even gotten some of this wrong this morning. But I do think this has made me think about this story a little more. I have probably treated it a little too casually in the past and possibly done more harm than good in times like that summer at camp over 25 years ago. If I did—if I hurt those boys in any way, I am sorry. As I try to figure out the real lesson of this story—that I am to love others through serving them—help me to do it in a way that is truly sacrificial and not in a way that passive aggressively lift me up over them.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 18, 2018 in John, Peter and John

 

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